Wrapper cutting and delivering mechanism



y 9, 1939- J. F. HALSTEAD 2,157,536

WRAPPER CUTTING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM Filed April 23, 1955 a Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BY fqlyauaJZl! @i-KZW y 1939- J. F. HALSTEAD 2,157,536

WRAPPER CUTTING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM Filed April 25, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FHW W3 4 y 1939 J. F. HALSTEAD 2,157,536

WRAPPER CUTTING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM Filed April 23, 1935- 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRAPPER CUTTING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM Application April 23,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to wrapper cutting and delivering mechanisms, particularly to one of the type in which a swinging or rotating carrier having a plurality of wrapper cutting dies thereon, is employed.

This type of wrapper cutting mechanism is illustrated in the United States Patent to Sigurd Clausen, No. 1,888,788, dated November 22, 1932, and has the advantage that it is capable of operation at greater speeds, as pointed out in that patent. Because of the motion of the carrier, or turret, however, the wrapper cutting die is reversed or turned around at its delivery position, as compared with the position at which the operator lays the wrapper. This offers transfer difficulties not hitherto encountered because heretofore the wrappers have ordinarily been presented to the wrapper transfer as laid, which as a rule has been with the overlap or seam forming side of the wrapper toward the rolling mechanism and with the flag end of the wrapper nearest the head end of the cigar bunch in the wrapping mechanism and with the tuck end of the wrapper nearest the tuck end of the bunch. In the Clausen patent referred to these difiiculties were obviated simply by having the operator lay the wrapper in reversed position, that is with the seam forming side of the wrapper toward the operator and away from the rolling mechanism. This arrangement, however, has only limited application, because operators must be specially trained and because it slows up the wrapper laying process somewhat.

Applicant has discovered that by combining the rotary or swinging wrapper carrying die with the wrapper transfer disclosed in his Patent No. 1,824,400, dated September 22, 1931, that he can gain all the speed of the rotary type wrapper cutter dies and still have the wrappers laid in their normal position.

In addition, he has found that this arrangement results in superior transferring for the reason that the reversed delivery mechanism of said patent has smoother motions and less abrupt action than the non-reversing or standard wrapper delivering mechanism. Prior to the present invention, however, it was impractical to use this type of delivery transfer except in the limited field referred to wherein it was practical to lay the wrapper in reversed position with the seam forming side of the wrapper toward the operator and away from the rolling mechanism.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations which will be hereinafter fully de- 1935, Serial No. 17,805

scribed and then pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts,-

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved wrapper cutting and delivering mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the movement of the wrapper dies and wrapper transfer in the operation of the improved mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings, the entire wrapper cutting and delivering mechanism is supported by means of a table 5 of the cigar machine. To table 5 is attached a bearing bracket 6 (Fig. 2) supporting the vertical turret shaft I to the upper portion of which is mounted a turret 8. To turret or die carrier shaft l' is fastened a ratchet disk 9 engaging with a pawl 48 pivoted to a gear H loosely mounted on turret shaft 1. Gear H is oscillated by means of a gear sector l2 pivoted to a stud l3 held by table 5. Gear section i2 is equipped with a cam lever H3 carrying a cam roller [5 engaging in a cam track [6 of cam ll mounted on the main drive shaft [8 of the cigar machine. The oscillating pawl l0 engages with the notches I9 of ratchet disk 9 only during the forward motion thereby imparting intermittent motion to shaft 7 and turret 8. In order to keep pawl H] in steady contact with ratchet disk 9, a tension spring 28 is provided.

The intermittently rotating turret or carrier 8 carries two wrapper dies 2! mounted in diametrically opposite position (Fig. 1). Within each die 2| is slidably mounted a die block 22 provided with suction holes 23. The suction to the turret is supplied through the hollow turret shaft 7 by a standard suction pump (not shown) and is controlled and regulated by a suitable valve control mechanism, which may be similar to that shown in Reissue Patent No. 19,677 issued to H. H. Wheeler, August 20, 1935. The vertical movement of the die blocks 22, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, is caused by a suitable cam mechanism such as disclosed in Patent 1,888,788. This mechanism operates studs 24 with which each die block 22 is provided. The front of the turret is protected by means of a guard 25 mounted on an operators table 28 supported by means of studs 21 attached to table 5.

The wrapper die, when moving from the wrapper receiving position to the wrapper delivering position, contacts a set of cutting rollers 28 which cause the cutting of the cigar wrapper. Cutting rollers 28 are pivoted on a bearing arm 29 adjustably mounted on a pedestal 3!] attached to table 5. The turret 8 is also provided with a pair of index notches Ba into which, during stops, drops an index roller 8?) (Fig. 1). Roller 81) is pivoted to a forked rod 8c equipped with a tension spring 801 and slidably mounted on a bearing lug 86 attached to table 5. Index roller 8b functions to prevent overrun of the turret 8 and to lock it in proper position after each movement.

When the cut wrapper arrives at the delivery position, the die block 22 ascends and contacts a wrapper carrier 3! which picks the wrapper up and carries the same to a cigar wrapping mechanism W where the wrapper is applied to the cigar bunch C. The wrapper carrier 3| is attached to a hollow shaft 32 loosely mounted on a hollow carrier arm 33 pivoted to a hollow operating arm 34 mounted on a hollow driving shaft 35 vertically supported by a bearing bracket 33 mounted on tab-1e 5. To the lower portion of shaft 35 is fastened a gear sector 35a oscillated by a gear sector 31 pivoted to stud 38 held by a bracket 39 attached to table 5. The gear sector 31 is equipped with a cam lever 40 carrying a cam roller 4i engaging in a cam track 42 of cam 43 mounted on drive shaft l8. To the upper portion of carrier shaft 32 is fastened a gear 44 actuated by means of a gear sector 45 pivoted to a stud 46 held by a bearing arm 4! of carrier arm 33. Gear sector 45 is equipped with a cam lever 48 carrying a cam roller 49 engaging in a cam track 50 of cam plate 5| supported by means of a bracket 52 mounted on table 5. Carrier arm- 33 is also equipped with a cam lever 53 carrying a cam roller 54 engaging in a cam track 55 of cam plate 5|.

The arm 34 on shaft 35 carries the pivot end of arm 33 along a circular path, while at the same time the arm 33 swings around the moving pivot, and the carrier shaft 32 turns in the moving free end of arm 33. All these movements being guided by the cam tracks 42, 50 and 55 which are laid out for each cigar shape to give the carrier its correct position and proper speed at every point of the path. The wrapper carrier 3% is provided with valves (not shown) which automatically control the suction as required at the different stages of the operation. The suction is led into the mechanism through the hollow shaft 35. The suction control of the carrier mechanism of course works in synchronism with that of the turret 8.

It is noted that in the construction above referred to the suction head 32 carrying the suction plate Si is given its swinging movement about a vertical axis through its center by means of a gear 1 and gear sector 45 and that, therefore, a given amount of lateral movement of the cam follower 39 with respect to the cam track 50 will result in substantially the same angular movement of the suction head. This results in a smoother and more accurate motion than follows with the use of linkage as in prior devices of the type shown in the United States Patent to Rundell, No. 1,539,274, dated May 26, 1925, because in certain positions of the suction head the arm secured to the head to swing the same about its own vertical axis was at times nearly in line with the operating link connected thereto. Thus a small motion of the operating link results at such times in a large motion of the suction head, so that the cam operating the link is very sensitive and any inaccuracies or lost motions are multiplied and the accuracy of movement of the wrapper carrier is less at these times. It so happens that the link and arm referred to tend to be more in line at the start and finish of the rolling operations when accuracy is most needed. In the above specification where the seam forming side or edge of the wrapper is referred to, that edge or side of the wrapper referred to is meant which is visible on the completed cigar.

In the operation of the improved wrapper cutting and delivering mechanism (see Fig. 3), the wrapper is laid by the operator with the tuck and flag ends of the wrapper at positions T5 and F! with the seam forming side or edge S away from the operators side and toward the rolling position of the cigar C. In the rotation of the turret 8 the Wrapper leaf is out by passage under the cutter rollers 28 and the cut Wrapper arrives at a position diametrically opposite to the laying position, ready for transfer and delivery by the suction head 3l-32, with the flag at position F2 and the tuck of the wrapper at position T2. The wrapper is then transferred as shown in Fig. 3 with the flag in the successive positions F3, F4, F5, F8, F7, F8, and F9, and the tuck end of the Wrapper travels successively through the positions T3, T4, T5, T6, Tl, T8, and T9. At the position F3T9 the applying or rolling on of the wrapper with respect to the bunch at position C starts and the wrapper suction plate 3! travels back with the flag and tuck ends of the plate traveling through the same paths but in a reverse direction, as those already referred to. It is noted that between the completion of the wrapping of the cigar at position FT5 and just prior thereto at position F5T5, and on the other hand the delivering position F2T2, the carrier head is substantially turned end for end, that is to say the flag end which is adjacent the head end of the cigar is moved to the position F2 most remote from the head end of the cigar and the tuck end nearest the tuck end of the cigar is moved to a position most remote from the tuck end T2. This is accomplished along smooth circular paths without abrupt changes of direction by crossing the paths of the flag and tuck ends of the suction plate between completion of wrapping and delivery positions of the cutter die as shown by the dot-dash lines and the dashed lines, respectively, in Fig. 3.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cigar making machine, the combination with means for rolling a wrapper about a cigar bunch, of a leaf supporting suction bed having a wrapper cutting die for receiving a cigar wrapper leaf from an operator with the seam forming side of the wrapper leaf toward the rolling means, means for swinging the suction bed to a position in which the seam forming side of the wrapper is away from the rolling means, a wrapper transfer having an elongated suction plate for taking the wrapper from the die in the latter position and feeding the wrapper therefrom onto the bunch during said rolling operation, and means for guiding the movement of said transfer after the wrapping operation operating to substantially turn said plate end for end between the completion of the rolling operation and the return of the plate to position to take a wrapper from said bed.

2. In a cigar making machine, the combination with a device for applying a wrapper about a cigar bunch, of a plurality of leaf supporting suction beds having wrapper cutting dies, an intermittently rotatable support for said beds operable to rotate said beds from a wrapper laying station at which the seam side of the wrapper is on the opposite side of the die from the operator who lays the wrappers, to a delivery station at which the flag end and the tuck ends of the wrapper are respectively nearest the tuck and head ends of a bunch in said device, and wrapper delivery means arranged to take a wrapper from said die and deliver the tuck end of said wrapper to the tuck end of said bunch, said support comprising a horizontal turret rotatable about a vertical axis, with said beds arranged substantially horizontally thereon, said wrapper transfer coacting with one of said beds while at a position substantially diametrically opposite the position at which the wrapper is laid thereon.

3. In a cigar making machine, the combination with means for rolling a wrapper about a cigar bunch, of a leaf supporting suction bed having a wrapper cutting die for receiving a cigar wrapper leaf from an operator with the seam forming side of the wrapper leaf toward the rolling means, means for swinging the suction bed to a position in which the seam forming side of the wrapper is away from the rolling means, and a wrapper transfer having an elongated suction plate for taking the wrapper from the die in the latter position and feeding the wrapper therefrom onto the bunch during said rolling operation, said wrapper transfer including a swinging arm, means rotatably mounting said suction plate on said arm for movement thereon about an axis passing through said plate, and mechanism controlling said movement including a cam, a lever pivoted on said arm having adjacent one end a follower element directly engaging said cam, said lever carrying adjacent its other end a gear segment, and a gear engaging said segment and coacting with said plate to control the movement thereof.

4. In a cigar making machine, the combination with means for rolling a wrapper about a cigar bunch, of a leaf supporting suction bed having a wrapper cutting die for receiving a cigar wrapper leaf from an operator with the seam forming side of the wrapper leaf toward the rolling means, means for swinging the suction bed to a position in. which the seam forming side of the wrapper is away from the rolling means, and a wrapper transfer having an elongated suction plate for taking the wrapper from the die in the latter position and feeding the wrapper there from onto the bunch during said rolling operation, said wrapper transfer including a swinging arm, means rotatably mounting said suction plate on said arm for rotation about an axis passing through said plate, and mechanism controlling said movement including a cam, a lever pivoted on said arm having a follower element directly engaging said cam and devices operated by said lever controlling the movement of said plate about said axis.

5. In a cigar making machine, the combination with means for rolling a wrapper about a cigar bunch, of a leaf supporting suction bed having a wrapper cutting die for receiving a cigar wrapper leaf from an operator, means for swinging the suction bed to a position in which the seam forming side of the wrapper is away from the rolling means, and a wrapper transfer having an elongated suction plate for taking the wrapper from the die in the later position and feeding the wrapper therefrom onto the bunch during said rolling operation, said wrapper transfer including a swinging arm, means rotatably mounting said suction plate on said arm for rotation about an axis passing through said plate, and mechanism controlling said movement including a cam, a lever pivoted on said arm having a follower element directly engaging said cam and devices operated by said lever controlling the movement of said plate about said axis.

6. A cigar machine comprising the combination with a device for winding a wrapper about a cigar bunch deposited therein, of a manually served cutting bed having a wrapper die positioned with its wrapper overlap side nearest said device and its flag end nearer to the head end of the cigar bunch in said device than to the tuck end of the same, a member coacting with said die to cut a wrapper from a tobacco leaf spread thereover by the attendant, mechanism for moving said bed horizontally to reverse it end for end, and a wrapper transfer for transporting the cut wrapper from said bed after the reversal of the latter, to a position wherein the tuck end of the wrapper overlies the tuck end of the bunch in said device and the wrapper flag end is most remote from the head end of the cigar, at which position the winding of the wrapper about the bunch is begun.

JOHN F. HALS'I'EAD. 

